Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Welp, I was supposed to make it all the way to Richmond tonight and drop this trailer on the yard. This load is supposed to go to McLane in Manassas tomorrow, but no time is specified, so presumably they were planning on giving it to a local driver to carry it the last mile.

But there's enough evacuation traffic on I-95 that I've been running into major slowdowns and occasional complete stoppages. And I was far enough away from Richmond when I set out this morning that I'm not gonna make it all the way before I run out of time. So I'm stopped at the Oasis Travel Plaza an hour and 20 minutes south of Richmond. We'll see how it looks in the morning. They may have me just take it all the way now.

 

We can still go there.
They can’t come here.

 

Are you in one of the eleven States that dropped the HOS Regs due to the Storm?

But ya, might just finish the route at this point too... whatever keeps you dry!!!

 

Beats me. I haven't heard about that in any official capacity. So unless a message from Safety comes across my qualcomm telling me I can ignore HOS, I'm going to play it safe and avoid an HOS violation.

 

Perdue gave me a load from Lewiston NC to Rincon GA yesterday. I hated to but I turned it down and called my supervisor and told him that me and my wife were evacuating Plymouth (Finfn1372 I feel for you pal). Yeah, I will risk my job, before I risk my life. Not dying in a watery grave. Karen and I are in Winchester VA hotel headed for Niagara Falls Buffalo side today. My supervisor, said he understood and to call him when I thought I might be available. I project several days. I expect to come back to a leveled house on newly waterfront property if I can even get near it. You guys stay safe. AT ALL COSTS.

 

In my opinion you are a wise man!
Everything in this world can be replaced with a bit of time. But life cannot!
Be safe!

 

Here's my day today:

Drove the last 1hr 20m to Richmond that I COULDA made last night if not for all the evacuation traffic.

Drop trailer on yard. Get a call from DM. "We got a hot load that's running late. Needs to go up to Maryland." "Yeah man, I got it."

It's a Hill-Phoenix load. Was supposed to be there at 8am. Still on the yard at 9:30am. Trailer #7517.

I roll around the yard, find the trailer, start backing up. Just before I hooked the fifth wheel, my brain said "Hey, this is trailer #7157, not trailer #7517." PHEW, just in time. Roll around, find the correct trailer, hook up and roll.

Receiver was 3 hours away. Took me 4.5 hours to get there thanks to evacuation traffic and a couple of accidents. Finally get there around 2:15pm. Apologize for being late.

"Oh, no problem," says the guy. "We already had one of your drivers here this morning. He had grabbed the wrong trailer."

--------

AND THEN

Get another call from DM. They need me to make a short run to Havre de Grace. The driver who was originally going to pick up the load had a breakdown, and I was in the area. Okay, sure, I got this one too.

It's a trade show load. All the stuff is going to a convention center over by the MGM Grand hotel and casino near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

I get there, there are two other Abilene trucks already there. And while I'm waiting for my turn, the shipping clerk comes out and tells me that they were able to load everything onto the first two trucks, so they didn't actually need me for anything.

Just as I was closing my doors and getting ready to go to the nearest truck stop, got a QC from dispatch telling me to wait here on site because they may have something here for me in the morning.

So now I am parked on the side of the road in Havre de Grace. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

For those of U wondering about the HOS Rules....

13 states now under FMCSA’s regs waiver declaration ahead of Hurricane Florence

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everyone who lives in the blast radius of this storm. I'm trying to make it home this weekend as well. Well, since Friday I went to wytheville, W. Memphis, Houston (Alvin, just south of there), Galveston, back to W.Memphis as of yesterday.I was supposed to get a service yesterday but they changed it last min, and I had to run a walmart load to Clarksville AR last night. I was 3 hours late, and I sat there from 4pm to 130am before i was finished. Luckily, I had already gotten a deadhead back to the W.Memphis yard. My truck went into the shop at 10ish this morning. At 1pm they told me, my truck needed all new brakes, front and rear. Truck was completed at 430pm. Clock is now bologna. Dispatched on a Volvo Byhailia (did I spell that right?) to Elkridge. I sent a message, I could make the pickup and drop in Wytheville tomorrow but I'm not going to Maryland. Especially when I'm supposed to be home this weekend and the storm coming in. Plus Sunday is my birthday, I really need electricity please lol.

Note* Remember gate code for W Memphis has changed. I think one or two of you messaged me for it but no one else.

Question? What time does Volvo Byhalia open? Or is it 24/7, as I missed the pickup time today and got approval from dispatch to pick up "early" tomorrow morning. Define "early" please.

 

According to the article, the only drivers exempt are those providing direct relief efforts.